For the second year, GRESB and BREEAM are partnering to recognise responsible real estate investment, as part of the annual BREEAM Awards.

GRESB is the international membership organisation that assesses the sustainability performance of real asset sector portfolios and assets. It provides its members with data, scorecards, benchmark reports and portfolio analysis tools.

Members receive comparative business intelligence on where they stand against their peers, a roadmap with the actions they can take to improve their sustainability performance and a communication platform to engage with investors. Investors use data and GRESB’s analytical tools to improve the sustainability performance of their investment portfolio, engage with investment managers and prepare for increasingly rigorous obligations. In 2017, 850 property companies and funds, jointly representing more than USD 3.7 trillion in assets under management, participated in the GRESB Real Estate Assessment. The categories and shortlists for this year are:

Large Portfolio, more than 1 billion Euro GAV (Gross Asset Value)

Altarea Cogedim

CBRE Dutch Office Fund

Credit Suisse Real Estate Fund Green Property

Credit Suisse Real Estate Fund SIAT

Société Foncière Lyonnaise (SFL)

Small Portfolio, less than 1 billion Euro GAV

Cromwell Netherlands Diversified Partnership

Neinver IRUS European Retail Property Fund

OREIMA – FOSCA II

Spitfire Joint Venture

SPP Fastigheter AB

The shortlists in the large and small portfolio categories are drawn from GRESB members who have the highest number of assets with sustainable building certification, based on percentage coverage and total number of assets. This is subject to a minimum of at least 75% of the portfolio holding sustainable building certification. The final decision on the winner in each category will be made by the GRESB Management Team and members of GRESB’s Real Estate Advisory Board.

Individual Leadership

A third category, for Individual Leadership recognises individuals who have demonstrated strong leadership and commitment in the field of sustainable development, and personally championed the cause of responsible real estate investment. The final winner in this category will be decided by a public vote. The shortlist for 2018 is:

Pieter Roozenboom, CBRE

Pieter is a central figure in CBRE’s drive for sustainable building certification throughout its portfolio. CBRE, as a manager and investor, are one of the most prominent users of building certification across Europe.

Elsa Rodrigues Monteiro, Sonae Sierra

Sonae Sierra has a very well-articulated sustainability strategy, which is very much focused on certification. Their website includes a publicly disclosed target around maximising their certified portfolio. As things stand, they have 43% portfolio BREEAM certified.

Lizzy Butink, A.S.R.

Lizzy collaborates with DGBC on the development of a new certification scheme for residential assets, which demonstrates her confidence and commitment to formal certification.

Frédéric Tourné, Befimmo

Frédéric has been driving the certification of Befimmo’s portfolio over a significant period of time. 59% of Befimmo’s portfolio is BREEAM certified

Ongoing Collaboration

The award categories are part of a wider and ongoing collaboration between BREEAM and GRESB to build links between their respective data platforms. There is a strong synergy between GRESB as a portfolio-based reporting tool and BREEAM as a more granular asset-based reporting and certification methodology. BREEAM and GRESB’s long-term aim is to increase the efficiency of the data reporting and provide clients with an effective means of identifying and improving sustainability performance.

The BREEAM Awards ceremony takes place at London ExCel on March 6th where all the winners will be revealed. This is the first day of the Ecobuild conference and exhibition. Over 60 high performing BREEAM projects will be recognised, as well as high performing clients, project teams and ‘champions’. More details at www.breeam.com/awards